


Orca Man Begins

by albayzin



Series: The Adventures of Orca Man and Rhincodon [3]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Gen, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-28 09:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16238936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albayzin/pseuds/albayzin
Summary: “Haru--” Makoto whines into the line, “How did you even know it was me?”“I was with you when you bought the costume, remember? Also, there’s no way that an actual orca would move as clumsily as you do.”Makoto wants to bring up the fact that an actual orca would not be walking around on land in the first place, but he has more pressing issues to take care of.“Why is that video so popular anyway, Haru? It doesn’t have cats or… or cute kids  or whatever else it is that all the viral videos on the internet should have.”“No, but it does have a guy in an orca suit stopping a guy from stealing an old lady’s purse, all while shouting something about doing the right thing.”Makoto gets his fifteen minutes of fame and doesn't like it.





	Orca Man Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the Orca Man origin story! Chronologically, this is the first thing that happens in this little AU, so please enjoy how Makoto starts down the path of being a superhero!
> 
> Written for Love Free Week, Day 2: When did everything change? or How did they overcome their greatest challenge?

Going to the costume party seemed like a good idea. It was something that was suggested by some of the other marine biology graduate students as something fun they can all do together before the semester started. Get things off to a fun start before a year’s worth of studying and research and labs drained all the life and joy out of you. 

Makoto was a little excited. He wanted to get to know his classmates and a costume party seemed like the perfect way to do so. It’ll certainly make things a lot better for later on in the year when assignments get tougher and they need to band together to survive. Makoto felt like it would do him some good to get out and try to make some new friends. 

He invited Haru out during one of the rare days they had free to go with him to the costume shop. It had taken some effort to keep Haru from continuously suggesting some of the more eccentric costume ideas, but they did eventually settle on a full body orca costume. Sure, it would make eating and drinking during the party a little more difficult, but something about the costume just spoke to Makoto. No matter what other costumes Haru and he looked at, Makoto’s eyes kept getting drawn back to the orca. 

Haru got tired of Makoto’s indecision and just handed him the costume and a look that said “Just buy it already.”

Makoto always thought it was just because orcas had always been one of his favorite animals, and since he was starting his doctorate, it was only fitting that he should dress up as one of the animals he was working to learn so much about.

It was such a nice night on the day of the costume party. Makoto thought it would have been better spent walking than taking a cab. It wasn’t that far away, and he could save some time cutting through the city park. He got some odd looks, because who would wear and walk around in an orca costume outside, but that didn’t bother him. No one could see his face and know it was him. 

He doesn’t know how he managed to hear the old woman’s cry for help, a lot of the sounds around him were muffled by the costume’s head, but somehow she managed to cut through everything. Makoto tuned in to the sound, turning and seeing a woman trying to keep someone from taking her purse. Makoto didn’t even need to think, he just sprang into action, jumping onto the mugger. 

Surprise had given him a quick advantage, but his lack of fighting experience was made obvious pretty easily. Haru had taken some martial arts classes when they were younger, and Makoto joined him, eager for something to do with his friend. Makoto didn’t last that long, not wanting to spar with his fellow classmates. He continued to attend, but mostly to watch Haru keep on fighting, learning everything he could. 

It was one thing to watch the moves and understand how they should work. It was another thing to get his body to move like the way it was supposed to when fighting. 

Especially when in a costume that severely limited his movement and eyesight. 

The mugger threw punch after punch, trying to get Makoto to let him go, but if there was one thing Makoto had it was resilience. He held on, holding on tighter and tighter after every punch. His costume was dirty and starting to tear, but Makoto just held on. 

“Why do you keep getting back up, kid? What’s it matter to you?”

Makoto is gasping for breath when he answers.

“She called for help… I couldn’t just stand by when she needed it.” 

There’s a pause before Makoto speaks up, louder than before.

“Someone needs to do the right thing!”

The mugger paused, momentarily stunned, before laughing. 

“Suit yourself kid,” he says before aiming a direct shot into Makoto’s stomach. He tries to dodge, but the previous hits took their toll on his body. 

The air is knocked out of his body and he collapses, giving the mugger a chance to escape. It takes a moment, but Makoto is able to pull himself back up. He looks around and sees that the old woman had safely run away. He lets out a relieved laugh before slowly walking back the way he came. There’s no point in going to the party now, not when his costume is dirty and he would rather just climb into his shower and then into his bed. 

He’ll send a message to the party group chat that he got sick and couldn’t make it. Sad, but at least he did something good. 

Makoto never noticed the kid hiding behind a tree with his cellphone out…

***

Makoto never wanted his fifteen minutes of fame to be like this.

To be entirely honest, Makoto would have rathered if he didn’t have fifteen minutes of fame to begin with, but there’s no changing the fact that the embarrassing video of him quickly made the jump from internet viral sensation to actually being shown on on the evening news. 

“... And coming up after the break, a new viral video is making its way across the world wide web, showin--”

Makoto bit back a groan as he quickly changed the channel to something, anything else. A variety show is playing a couple channels over and he sighs in relief. This is fine, he can ignore the video, pretend that it doesn’t even exist. Pretend that he didn’t just humiliate himself and it was recorded on tape and now it’s being broadcast for anyone with a computer to see. 

The only saving grace about this entire thing was the fact his entire face was covered. So really, he’s the only one who knows that it’s _him_ in the video. 

His thoughts are interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Good, another distraction. This is exactly what Makoto wanted. 

“So I see that you’re on the news…”

No, disregard that. This phone call was the _last_ thing he wanted right now. 

“Haru--” Makoto whines into the line, “How did you even know it was me?”

“I was with you when you bought the costume, remember? Also, there’s no way that an actual orca would move as clumsily as you do.”

Makoto wants to bring up the fact that an actual orca would not be walking around on land in the first place, but he has more pressing issues to take care of.

“Why is that video so popular anyway, Haru? It doesn’t have cats or… or cute kids or whatever else it is that all the viral videos on the internet should have.”

“No, but it does have a guy in an orca suit stopping a guy from stealing an old lady’s purse, all while shouting something about doing the right thing.”

“Haru!”

Makoto hears Haru let out a sigh over the line. He knows his friend isn’t trying to embarrass him, but he also knows that Haru isn’t the kind of person to hold back his thoughts if he thinks someone needs to hear them. 

“The video will go away in a few days, and someone else will be on the news for their cat that can play the drums or for something else that people like to watch over and over again..”

“Are you sure, Haru?”

“Yes.”

“--Thank you, Haru. I really needed to hear that.”

Haru makes a non-committal noise

“So... Sera’s moving out, isn’t he?

“Oh, yeah, he is!” Makoto says, glad for the topic change, “He’s planning to get a job in Sano City now that he’s graduated and he’s planning to move out once he finds one, so I think we should have plenty of time to figure out what we’re going to do.”

“That’s good,” and for the first time, Makoto hears a faint splash in the background of the phone call.

“Haru... Are you in the bath right now?”

Another splash is heard and Makoto doesn’t need to hear any more. He sighs and ends the call, telling Haru that he’ll see him tomorrow for dinner.

***

It’s been a week and a half, and three of the five newspapers at the train station have headlines that read something along the lines of “Where is Orca Man Now?” So maybe Haru was wrong about the video fading away after a few days. While he was right about there being a new viral cat video, it did nothing to make people forget the video of him dressed as an orca and saving a woman from being mugged.

Makoto is making a point to not look at the news stand as they wait for their train to arrive. He can tell Haru is looking at him out of the corner of his eye. He appreciates that Haru isn’t saying anything about it right now. Makoto doesn’t regret what he did. If given the choice, he would do it again. It was the right thing to do. He just wishes that people would not make such a big deal out of the entire thing. But… was it really so remarkable that he would save someone, if given the chance? 

He’s so into his thoughts he doesn’t even realize Haru had left until he feels something being pressed into his hand. Makoto looks down and sees a chocolate bar. Haru is looking off to the side, away from Makoto.

“Here, for the ride back home.”

Makoto smiles, before placing the bar into his backpack. 

“Thank you, Haru.”

Things will be fine, Makoto thinks. Sure, the video may be taking longer to fade away than other videos, but it will eventually. 

Soon enough, their train arrives, and Makoto makes it a point to talk to Haru about needing to do roommate interviews during their ride back home. 

“I still really like the apartment and I don’t want to move out, but it’s too big and too expensive for me to live there by myself.”

“So when are you going to put up an ad?”

“Sera still hasn’t found a job, but he’s gotten one interview request already. He said that even if he has to move out in the middle of a month, he’ll still pay rent for that month and the next month to make things easier than me. I have… quite a lot saved up, so even if I don’t find a roommate right away, I’ll be fine for a little bit.”

“Hm, you still shouldn’t wait too long if it comes to that.”

“Yeah, Haru, but if worse comes to worse I could just stay with a friend while I find a new place...”

“Rin does have a spacious living room--”

“Haru!”

“Kidding, of course you can stay with me.”

***

Makoto quietly exits his old bedroom, where he holed himself up so he could take a nap. He didn’t get a chance to sleep well the night before, and Haru had agreed to distract his younger siblings so he could take catch up on some sleep while his parents were out picking up their dinner, but the house is suprisingly quiet. There’s no sound of playing, no sound of a TV.

There’s nothing. 

Makoto feels a slight frown cross his face. He knows he shouldn’t be worried, but there’s usually something always going on at his house. The only times it’s ever really quiet are when the family’s sleeping. He starts making his way towards the living room and he hears muffled laughs from outside. Makoto breathes out a small sigh of relief, knowing at least they went outside to play.

When Makoto walks outside, he sees his sister, Ran, chasing his brother, Ren, around the yard, while Haru sits passively near the front door. He’s watching them closely, and he’s actually smiling, which is a little odd. 

“So, what are they pla--” Makoto begins to ask, before he gets his answer.

“Hah, caught you bad guy!”

“No fair! How come you always get to be Orca Man!”

Oh, so that explains Haru’s smile. He lets out a small laugh, and Makoto just turns to give him a sharp look before making his way to keep his siblings from fighting.

“Now, now, why play ‘Orca Man’ if you’re going to be fighting about who gets to be him?” Makoto asks as he separates his siblings. 

“Because he’s so cool!” is the immediate response from Ran. 

Ren quickly chimes in, “He’s strong and brave and a hero!”

Makoto pointedly ignores the slightly louder laugh from Haru behind him. 

“He just saved a woman from getting robbed, you know…” Makoto begins, trying to figure out the best way to get his siblings from focusing so much on him. 

“That shouldn’t matter, don’t you think?” Haru speaks up. 

All three Tachibana siblings turn back to look at Haru, still sitting on the front steps. 

“Haru--?”

“Being a hero isn’t always about saving Iwatobi City, like what Great White used to do. It’s like he said, it’s about someone doing the right thing.”

Makoto feels his face flush, listening to Haru throw his words back at him. 

There’s twin cheers that fade into the background. There’s something that Haru is trying to tell him, but for once he can’t read what he’s trying to say. 

Makoto doesn’t get the chance to ask when his parents walk up with dinner in hand.

***

Makoto keeps turning Haru’s words through his head all through dinner. Long after dinner, when he’s lying in bed, staring up at his bedroom ceiling that he asks the question he wanted to ask Haru all evening.

“Am I really a hero?”

Haru speaks up from his futon, wrapped up in his blankets. 

“You were there and did the right thing. Ren and Ran think you’re a hero.”

A beat of silence before Haru continues. 

“And so do a lot of the people who watched the video.”

“Do you?”

For a moment, the only sound that Makoto can hear is his own heartbeat. 

“I do.”

Haru shifts, curling up more in his blankets. Makoto knows better than to ask more questions when Haru fully cocoons him in his blankets. 

His own heartbeat is getting louder, beating a steady rhythm that doesn’t seem to stop. It’s a prelude to something more, something new. Makoto can feel a change start to rise up within him. 

He doesn’t know when he finally manages to sleep, but his dreams that night, and every night for the rest of his trip back home have the same thing in common. 

A hero.

***

Makoto is mostly quiet on the ride back to Iwatobi City. It’s only halfway through their trip back does Makoto speak quietly to Haru.

“Hey, Haru… Remember when we were younger and I took those martial arts classes with you?”

Haru looks at Makoto out of the corner of his eye, eyebrow raised, asking him to continue. 

“Do…” Makoto hesitates before firming himself up. “Do you think you could teach me?”

The barest of smiles graces Haru’s lips. 

“We can start next weekend, if you’d like.”

“Yeah, I would. It seems like the right thing to do.”

**Author's Note:**

> if you want to know more about this au, feel free to ask me on twitter over at [sardborken](https://twitter.com/sardborken)!


End file.
